Shipping platform and collapsible tray for handling material with lift trucks



Oct. 11, 1932. 1,881,822 H PPING PLATFORM AND COLLAPSIBLE TRAY FOR HANDLING MATERIAL WITH LIFT TRUCKS A. s. MOKELLIGON 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Fil ed Dec. 23 1931 INVENTOI? I 772 /(QM 1 v I I z BY 4, 0% wi s.

ATTORNEYS.

Oct, 11, 1932. A. s. McKELLlGON 1,881,822

SHIPPING PLATFORM AND COLLAPSIBLE TRAY FOR HANDLING MATERIAL WITH LIFT TRUCKS Filed Dec 23, 1951 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Hi .5. z= "i .6.* 8

9 I Z:' i .7. 1 12/ w /i5 is I .13. 15. i5- 1 r 2 11, IF

ii I 13 g F ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALVIN S. MGKELLIGON, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA snrrrme rm'rromr AND corrarsmrr. rear roa HANDLING murmur. wma

' 1.1m 'rnuoxs I Application filed December 23, 1931. Serial No. 582,780.

My invention relates to the art of handling material in storage and transporting 1t by means of lift-trucks, the general obJect being to eliminate or materially reduce hand 6 labor. v

In this art which has found extensive practice in the storing and shipping of a variety of articles, especially in and about railroad shops, the means employed usually comprise 10 a platform upon which the articles are placed, said platform having legs by which it is supported at an elevation; and a truck adapted to be run in under the raised platform, said truck having an elevating structure for bodily lifting the loaded platform and transporting it to its destination.

In many cases, for instance, the shlpment by railway cars, or other carriers, which 1nvolves the return of the empties when un- 39 loaded at their ultimate destination, or in cases when the platforms are indefinitely stored when not in use, it is found that their legs-which are commonly more or less rigidly attached, as, for example, by bolts, present a serious obstacle to space conservation in such return or storage. To meet this difficulty, entirely separate supports for initially holding the platforms at an elevation sufiicient to permit the introduction thereunder of $0 the lift truck and from which supports the platforms are lifted and carried off, have been suggested. 1

My invention, however, contemplates the presence of legs so intimately associated with the platform as to be practically a part thereof, and thus serve their purpose in all situations and places in which they may be of use; but my improvement in this connection consists in a novel construction rendering said legs readily removablefwhereby they may be temporarily detached when they are not needed, for example, when the platforms are not in use and are indefinitely stored or when they are being returned empty, all to the end that space may be conserved.

My invention further consists, in connection with said platform's, of tray frames adapted for removable association therewith either singly or in stacked numbers, to form a tray-like compartment of any desired height to accommodate the material being handled. I

My invention further consists in certain novel devices or members having the double function of corner braces for the tray frames, 65 and as retainers to enable said frames to be fitted accurately and removably to the platform, and when it is necessary, to ermit them to be stacked in order to vary the eight of the inclosing or confining tray-compartment.

The nature of my invention, together with its object will hereinafter fully appear in connection with the following description and the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes may be made in construction and arrangement without de- I parting from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the platform supported at an elevation by its legs, and fitted with a single removable collapsible tray frame.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing a plurality of tray frames fitted to the elevated 7 platform. I I a Fig. 3 is a broken plan view, enlarged, of a corner of the platform showing one ofthe corner braces and retainers for the tray frames, which in this figure are not shown.

Fig. 4 is a section, enlarged, on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the detail of the detachable fastening for the removable legs.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of one of the tray frames in its collapsed or folded condition.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the tray frame as expanded.

Fig. 7 is a section, enlarged, on the line 77 of Fig. 2.

The platform comprises a marginal frame 1, preferably of angle iron, cross bars 2 welded thereto, a hardwood deck 3 secured to said frame, and legs 4, which support the platform at the proper height to permit the lift-truck, not shown, to be run in under it.

The legs 4 are best made of heavy steel pipe, with a plug 5 shrunk in the top and forming a bearing extension passingthrough the horizontal flanges of the frame corners and hardwood deck with a readily removable slip waste of space.

fit. They are held in place by means of sprin latches 6 bolted onthe outer face of the. rame ends, said latches having upon their free end a stud 7 which plays through the vertical flange of the frame and engages a notch 8 in the plug extension 5 of the legs. This is a simple but effective connection which enables the legs to be fitted to and removed from the platform with the greatest facility, and carries out the intention of having said legs not only removable but of such a character that by reason of their simplicity they constitutein effect a part of the platform adapted to accompany it foruse or disuse, as the case may be, without undue The materials loaded upon the platform may be and often are of a nature requiring confinement thereon. For this purpose, border frames or sides are removably fitted upon the platforms to form a tray-like compartment thereon. In my improvement, these tray or border frames 13 are primarily characterized by being collapsible, the frame sides being fitted at the corners with hinges 9, so that when not in use, they may be folded and thus take up but little space.

The hinged corner joints when the border or tray frames are expanded for use are locked by novel members which have the double function of braces, against hinge movement, and of retainers for accurately and removably fitting said frames upon the loading platform and upon one another when in stack form to vary the height of the confining tray compartment; and holding them against horizontal movement when so seated, said corner braces and retainers being themselves readily removable, in order to permit the folding or collapsing of the tray frames. These members comprise short curved tie-rods 10 carrying at each end pairs of spaced stops 11. In the contiguous edges of the tray-frames at the corners are made the complemental notches 12 of a depth equal to half the diameter of the cross section of the tie-rods 10; and said rods being dropped into the lower notches and engaged by the upper notches, and their spaced stops 11 bearing against the side faces of said frames, the latter are not only securely braced and held at their hinged corners, but also the frames rest upon each other accurately and are prevented from horizontal displacement in any direction, so that they may be stacked in any numbers in order to vary the height of the tray compartment as needed. Each tray frame may be freely lifted off and collapsed, and the corner braces readily removed in dismantling the structures for returning the empties or for storing them in small space.

I claim 1. Ina shipping platform for handlin material with lift-trucks, having a dec in complemental notches in contiguous edges,

said rods having side stops at each end.

2. In a shipping platform for handlin material with lift-trucks, having a dec adapted to be supported at an elevation, a

border frame to form a tray compartment I upon said deck, said frame having its members hinged at the corners for collapsibility when not in use, and means for locking the hinged corners when the frame is in use and removably seating it and holding it against horizontal movement consisting of tie-rods connecting the frame members. at their hinged corners, said rods being removably seated in complemental notches in contiguous edges, and having spaced side stops at each end.

3.,In a shipping platform for handlin material with lift trucks, having a dec adapted to be supported at an elevation; a plurality of independent tray frames with hinged corners adapting said frames to be collapsed and expanded, and means for looking said hinged corners when the frames are expanded, and holding them against horizontal movement when stacked upon said platform, consisting of tie-rods connecting the frame members at their hinged corners, said rods being removably seated in complemental notches in contiguous edges and having spaced side stops at each end.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALVIN S. MoKELLIGON. 

